What do you do if your car overheats? It happens to every driver at some point even with the best cars, tuned up the best, some of the time it may be sort of expected whereas other times it is out of the blue. Your cars engine overheats or your rad boils over. Your hot temperature red light comes to life or the needle on the temperature gauge on the dash moves dangerously and precipitously into the red right areas zone.
Just what do you do and what is standard procedure for cars that overhear from “natural causes “?

No doubt about it Even the happiest most tuned automobile can and will overheat occasionally. For example if you find yourself in “stop and go” traffic, on a hot hot summer day, the best chances are that your car or truck’s dashboard temp indicator will rise. There are any of a number of standard steps and procedures recommended to keep your vehicle cool in these circumstances and driving situations,

1) At the first signs of overheating, turn off and shut off the auto’s air conditioner and next open your car’s windows to cool down the interior as well. By turning off the automobile’s air conditioning unit it will decrease the load on the engine , burden it less to produce heat and give it a better chance to cool down unencumbered

2) If the vehicle’s engine still continues to overheat (the temperature gauge stays up or the red idiot temperature light stays on) next turn on your car interior heater and fan blower. Make sure that the temperature lever or control of the interior car heater is set to hot or red not cool. This will transfer heat away from the hot engine itself out and away but into the passenger and driver compartment itself. It definitely will cool down the engine somewhat but will heat up you and your passengers – sometimes unbearably in the summer. If you are carrying groceries inside the car including ice cream or frozen food watch out

3) If you are stopped in traffic and the temperature gauge is rising or on the extreme end near to the H hot mark , shift your transmission lever into “N’ that is “Neutral” and rev the engine somewhat to circulate water faster through the water pump to the cooling system and fins of the radiator. The role and function of the rad and cooling system is to exhaust waste heat. Let it do its job. The increased air and liquid circulation should help cool things off. Make 100 % sure that your transmission is firmly placed in neutral. You do not want to ram the vehicle in front (or back) of you and cause a vehicular collision or body damage. You might want to place your foot firmly on the brake pedal as well just for extra care and insurance.

4) It is best not to “ride your brakes” as you drive. Brake drag increases the load on the engine and will make it heat up. Best overall as your driving practice to lag behind traffic as your driving practice if traffic is crawling, and then move up when the gap between you and the vehicles in front of you gets too wide. Try to crawl along slowly, on little more than an idle, rather than moving up slowly and braking to a stop,

Lastly if you are concerned that your car or truck is about to boil over or that a boiling over situation is imminent, drive over to the side of the road, open up your hood of your auto. Sit there patiently until things cool down. Remember do not open the radiator cap under any and all circumstances. This must be stressed and driven home. As well if your engine has boiled over do not add water to the car until the engine is cool , cool , cool. You risk and overflow like from a hot kettle and scalding. If it is essential to add water then do it assisted by another driver or motorist. Have the water added slowly while the engine is running and firmly in neutral gear.

Author Bio: Allan I. Shacter Vancouver Buick Chevy GM Auto Dealers Vancouver Auto Finance Loans Easy Credit Terms Low Payments Weekly Vancouver BC Newspaper Auto Ads Online